Foreign policy & defense
foreign policy
How the United States deals with other countries: diplomacy, treaties and agreements, trade, aid, sanctions, and the use of force. Shared between branches.
In full
The President negotiates, recognizes governments, and commands the military; Congress declares war, ratifies treaties through the Senate, confirms ambassadors, regulates commerce, and funds all of it. The practical balance has shifted toward the executive because it can act quickly and Congress must act collectively.
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Browse every term in the glossary, or see the vocabulary in motion in the How government works walkthroughs.
A plain-language explanation for civic education, not legal advice. When in doubt, the official source named above controls.